James P. Hoffa
Encyclopedia
James Phillip Hoffa is an attorney
and labor
leader and the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
. Hoffa was first elected during December 1998 and took office on March 19, 1999. He was subsequently re-elected in 2001, 2006 and 2011 to five-year terms.
, who was also a president of the Teamsters
, and his wife Josephine (née Poszywak). He is the brother of Judge Barbara Ann Crancer
. Hoffa has a wife, Virginia, and two sons, David and Geoffrey.
Born in Detroit, Michigan
on May 19, 1941, Hoffa attended Cooley High School
. There, he became a member of the National Honor Society
, and an all-city and all-state football player. During the summer months, the Hoffa family visited their cottage in rural Lake Orion outside Detroit.
Hoffa often accompanied his father to Teamster meetings and events, and became a Teamster in 1959 on his 18th birthday. Hoffa holds a degree in economics
from Michigan State University
(1963) and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School
(1966). Hoffa was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work in the Michigan State Senate as an aide to senate and house members doing constituent relations and research. Hoffa is a member of Alpha Tau Omega
. He was an attorney for the Teamsters from 1968 to 1993.
, at the Teamsters international convention of June 1996 in Philadelphia. After nearly 500,000 votes were cast in early November, 1996, Ron Carey had won the election by a 52 percent margin. At the time Carey characterized the victory as one for “reformers in the American labor movement.”
Five months later, in April 1997, news broke that a federal grand jury was investigating allegations that Ron Carey had received illegal campaign kickbacks and employer contributions during the Teamsters election the previous year. The union has been supervised by a court-appointed administrator ever since a consent decree with the Justice Department in 1989.
A new election for Teamsters president was ordered by the federal government in August 1997, after federal official Barbara Zack Quindel’s investigation uncovered a ‘complex network of schemes’ that involved the improper use of Teamster assets.
Quindel found that the Carey campaign had received more than $220,000 in illegal contributions. Ultimately, the Independent Review Board found that more than $750,000 in union assets had been used in Carey’s 1996 reelection campaign.
During the 1998 election Tom Leedham, then-director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division, campaigned against James P. Hoffa. Campaigning to unite the union, Hoffa won the election. After having lost narrowly in 1996 to Ron Carey, Hoffa’s new role as president was considered by Teamster members as a chance to rebuild the union.
Hoffa was re-elected in 2001 and 2006 to five-year terms.
“The new union leader is being closely watched in part because he has pledged to restore unity in Teamsters’ ranks in the wake of a divisive campaign finance scandal.”
Two-thousand full-time jobs were created after Teamster pressure on United Parcel Service (UPS) as part of the commitment made by the 1997 contract. “My administration sent UPS management a very clear message. We expect UPS to meet their obligations under the 1997 agreement, and we will not tolerate company delays or numbers manipulation.”
voted to ratify a new contract with improvements in compensation and retirement packages and ending a 3½ year labor dispute. “This contract provides tremendous wage gains, industry-leading pension rates and the best scope of protections in the industry.”
Demonstrating increased strength and confidence in Teamster representation Champion Air
flight attendants voted for their first Teamster contract in March, 2001. The contract resulted in improved pay rates, hours of service, working conditions and benefits.
Education Services in Los Angeles ratified a new contract in April 2002. The strike occurred due to the disparity between the wages and benefits of drivers who are direct employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District
and those paid by Laidlaw.
A landmark agreement with United Parcel Service
(UPS) was reached in July 2002 for the 210,000 Teamsters employed there. Hoping to avoid a damaging strike similar to the one in 1997, negotiators at UPS acquiesced to Teamster demands, producing a contract with a 25 percent increase in wages and benefits. “These negotiations have taken place in an economic climate in which millions of American workers are seeing their health benefits cut and their retirement savings wiped out. We have shown the nation that job and benefit cuts are not inevitable,” said James Hoffa, Teamsters President.
Mechanics at Continental Airlines
ratified a four-year contract resulting in wage and benefit increases in December 2002. This was the second Teamster contract for the 3,300 mechanics and one that made subcontracting nearly impossible due to its defining all maintenance work as being within the jurisdiction of the Teamsters.
Carhaulers ratified a new, five-year contract that protected health benefits and pensions and provided job security for the more than 6,500 members nationwide. The contract included increases of wages and benefits by 13.4 percent over the term of the agreement.
Chicago area trash haulers represented by the Teamsters reached an agreement in October, 2003, ending a nine-day garbage strike that left local officials begging for the garbage trucks. The new contract included higher wages and improvements to health benefits and pensions and covered 3,300 solid waste hauling workers.
Anheuser-Busch
Teamsters ratified a new, five-year agreement in December 2003. The Teamsters Union won a guarantee from the company that prohibits closing of any of its 12 breweries in the United States. Wage increases, free health care and increased pension benefits were all included in the contract covering 7,500 Teamster members nationwide.
in the Atlanta area ratify their first Teamster contract in December, 2005. The second-largest U.S. trash hauler, Allied Waste agreed to labor contracts that cover more than 450 workers. The Teamsters secured agreements after a year and half of bargaining during which the company tried to demoralize the workers and their union by granting raises to workers in non-union location shops and intimidating union supporters. “These contracts are a testament to the workers courage and determination, and a major step forward in our battle to raise living standards for waste workers across the South,” said Teamsters President Jim Hoffa at the time of the victory.
mechanics, aircraft fuelers, cleaners and stock clerks in January, 2007.
“At NetJets, Teamsters are making real gains despite negative trends elsewhere,” said Allen Price, Teamsters Local 284 President. The contract covers 143 workers.
A tentative agreement was reached for Teamster members working at Costco
in California in January 2007. More than 13,000 workers at 40 locations in the state are covered under the agreement.
Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new contract for those working on the nation’s freight rail lines. The agreement includes general wage increases totaling 17 percent (18.2 percent compounded over the life of the agreement), which will remain effective until December 31, 2009. Both the BMWED and BLET are members of the Teamsters Rail Conference.
Indianapolis Teamsters working at UPS Freight voted to ratify their first contract in October, 2007. The agreement will improve wages, benefits and working conditions. “For more than 50 years, workers at UPS Freight’s predecessor, Overnite, fought to win a Teamster contract. Today the union fulfilled its promise that we would not quit until workers achieved economic justice.
UPS Teamsters approved a new contract in November, 2007 with a five-year term covering 240,000 workers. The contract will increase wages annually and increase funds that provide pension, health and welfare benefits. “We…have negotiated an agreement that will greatly benefit our members at U.P.S. as well as Teamster members in other industries covered by pension and health and welfare funds.”
, Yellow Transportation, Roadway and regional units at USF Holland and New Penn Motor Express.
On February 20, 2008, Hoffa became the first major union leader to endorse Senator Barack Obama
(D-IL) in his bid for President of the United States. Hoffa campaigned in major states for Obama throughout the primary and general election. He served as a superdelegate
to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
in Denver and a member of the Michigan Electoral College.
On March 11, 2008 members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance Way Employes (BMWED), part of the Teamsters Rail Conference, approved a new contract with Amtrak after eight years of negotiations. Workers, who have been working for sub-par rates for the past several years will receive increases of wages and benefits.
Workers at DHL Express
ratified a new national agreement in early May 2008. These were the first national agreements negotiated by the Teamsters Union in more than 30 years. “The vote from DHL Express members is a strong signal of support. We were determined to obtain the best contract that we could for members, and I believe we achieved that,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa.
Teamster carhaulers ratified a new three-year national agreement on October 24, 2008. A record level of employer contributions towards health, welfare and pension benefits were won by the union by the agreement covering approximately 8,100 workers.
Gaining a 15 percent wage increase over five years, Teamsters working at Anheuser-Busch facilities in the U.S. voted in a new agreement on November 7, 2008. The contract included the promise that Anheuser-Busch, recently acquired by InBev
, would keep all 12 U.S. Breweries open for the life of the contract.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, pressmen at the Los Angeles Times
voted in a Teamster contract in December, 2008. The 250 men and women working in the press operations section of the Los Angeles Times voted in their first collective bargaining agreement with the Graphic Communications Conference of the Teamsters.
For the last 14 months, Hoffa managed the Teamsters’ effort as the union worked with YRC Worldwide (YRCW) as the country’s largest less-than-truckload company struggled during the recession. The Teamsters and YRCW reached a labor cost savings agreement in August, and YRCW reached new bank terms with its lenders at the end of October.
But in December, Hoffa sent letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission, state Attorneys General
, state insurance officials
and Congressional
leaders on financial industry oversight calling on regulators to review the questionable promotion of credit default swap
s for bonds
of YRCW. Hoffa urged the oversight bodies to investigate financial firms that were underwriting and/or marketing basis packages that consist of YRC bonds and credit default swaps.
Two days after the letters were sent, YRC announced it had obtained the necessary thresholds on its bond holder debt-to-equity exchange offer, which was the final part of a comprehensive restructuring plan that required all major stakeholders—its workers, pension funds, secured lenders and bond holders—to contribute toward helping the company survive the worst freight recession in generations.
Hoffa and the Teamsters were credited in several news reports for helping YRC avert bankruptcy
. Bloomberg
said Goldman Sachs
helped YRCW complete the debt swap after the ‘Teamsters Union said the bank was trying to profit from a failure of the largest U.S. trucker by sales.”
The three-way race was between Hoffa, Fred Gegare and Sandy Pope. Gegare is a Wisconsin Teamster, trustee on a pension fund and a Teamsters International Vice President. Pope is president of Teamsters Local 805 in New York City.
and worker safety. He transformed the Teamsters into a premier political force by changing alliances
and rhetoric unpredictably.
Under his leadership, the Teamsters ended a federal program that allowed Mexican
truckers to haul goods beyond the border zone in the United States. The Teamsters strongly opposed a trade deal with Colombia
through lobbying and street protests, and were credited with helping to prevent a similar trade deal with Panama
.
The Teamsters successfully encouraged Congress to pass legislation increasing rail security in 2007.
The Teamsters sued the Bush administration in 2005 to overturn regulations that extended the number of hours a driver could spend behind the wheel of a truck. The Teamsters argued the rule would contribute to driver fatigue. The Circuit Court of Appeals
for the District of Columbia sided with the Teamsters, but it was the Obama administration that finally agreed to change the rule.
Under his leadership, the Teamsters ended a federal program in 2009 that allowed Mexican truckers to haul goods beyond the border zone in the United States. Hoffa predicted the failure of a second version of the program in October 2011, and challenged it in federal court.
In September 2010, President Obama appointed Hoffa to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.
rally in Detroit, Michigan
. In his remarks, an animated Hoffa stated "We have to keep an eye on the battle we face—a war on workers. And you see it everywhere there is the Tea Party. And you know there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what, they’ve got a war, they’ve got a war with us and there is only going to be one winner. It is going to be the workers of Michigan and America – we are going to win that war. All the way." He then urged the audience to vote in the coming election and in reference to the Tea Party
, stated, "Everybody here's got to vote," Hoffa said. "If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize, let's take these sons-of-a-bitches out and give America back to America where we belong!"
Following the fiery remarks, some conservative media outlets chastised the Democrats and President Obama for not condemning Hoffa for using violent rhetoric of the kind they had cited as leading to the 2011 Tucson Shooting
, while the White House Press Secretary
Jay Carney
said, “Mr. Hoffa speaks for himself, he speaks for the labor movement...The president speaks for himself." However, Hoffa responded to the controversy by stating, “We didn’t start this war—the right wing did. My comments on Labor Day in Detroit echo the anger and frustration of American workers who are under attack by corporate-funded politicians who want to destroy the middle class. We’re tired of seeing good-paying jobs shipped overseas. This fight is about the economy, it’s about jobs and it’s about rebuilding America. As I said yesterday in Detroit, we all have to vote in order to take these anti-worker politicians out of office. We’re fighting back. That’s what Teamsters do—we stand up for what is right,” Hoffa said. “I will never apologize for standing up for my fellow Teamsters and all American workers.” The National Review
's Jonah Goldberg
supported Hoffa's language, if not the content, saying "We are in a really weird place where the head of the Teamsters can't talk tough. I mean, I guess ex-cons are the only ones left who can still talk like men every now and then." Goldberg went on to state that the issue was not the language, but the "absolutely bizarre standard" for language established after Tucson.
Some commentators and journalists have charged that the context of the quote was changed by editing out the "Everybody here's got to vote" passage by Fox News Channel
and other media outlets, thus fueling the controversy by making the speech sound like a call for violence instead of a call to vote.
Recent significant organizing victories include more than 12,600 workers at UPS Freight, 9,000 mechanics at United Airlines
, 22,000 school bus drivers at First Student/FirstGroup since 2006 under the union’s Drive Up Standards campaign, 3,200 customer service representatives at America West Airlines
, and nearly 900 crewmembers of Atlas Air, Inc. and Polar Air Cargo Worldwide. More recently, on November 20, 2009, more than 1,700 school bus workers employed at the Baumann transportation companies on Long Island
joined the union.
The organizing victory at UPS Freight was particularly noteworthy, because it is the former Overnite Transportation, which the union struggled to organize for many years. The campaign got a major boost when UPS purchased Overnite, and it became UPS Freight.
“This [UPS Freight] is the largest organizing victory in the freight industry in 25 years. We were amazed that at the 90-day mark of our national campaign, 9,900 workers had signed cards. This shows the workers' commitment in joining a union that will give them a strong voice in the workplace.”
“We announced two goals for the Teamsters in 2008: To organize 40,000 workers and to elect Barack Obama President of the United States
. I am proud to say that thanks to the hard work by so many in our union, the Teamsters delivered on both promises.”
The union’s successful organizing plan has emphasized the Teamster core industries—particularly those in the global supply chain—and the management of Hoffa and the Teamsters Organizing Department involved the entire union. The bulk of the organizing resulted from coordinated, disciplined campaigns in which numerous Teamster local unions and Joint Councils participated.
Organizing has been a main theme of Hoffa’s administration, culminating in 2005, when the Teamsters Union left the AFL-CIO
to found the new Change to Win Federation
with emphasis on organizing and growth. The union has achieved an annual increase in organizing gains every year since, with 2008 marking a record-breaking year. Hundreds of volunteer member organizers have arranged worker-to-worker contacts between Teamsters and unorganized workers in the same craft.
In September 2009, the Teamsters began a project to recruit and train 1,000 member organizers before the end of 2009 to be ready when the Employee Free Choice Act
is passed.
“There is no better spokesperson for the Teamsters than a Teamster like you,” Hoffa said. “… We are engaged in national campaigns that will test the resources of the union. Without a mighty army of Teamster member organizers, we’re not going to get it done.”
“We formed our union with the Teamsters so we could have an opportunity to negotiate for fair pay, benefits and equal treatment,” said Nicole Miles, a monitor at First Student in Parkville, Missouri and Local 838 member. “Coming from a Teamster family, I supported the Teamsters because I wanted to be part of a union that will support me. I’m proud of our vote to join the Teamsters.”
Frustrated with the AFL-CIO’s lack of emphasis on organizing, the Teamsters Union and the Service Employees International Union
(SEIU) split from the AFL-CIO on July 25, 2005. The group of breakaway unions, which later included the Laborer’s
, United Farm Workers
and United Food and Commercial Workers Union, formed their own group called the Change to Win Federation.
“We have been disappointed that over the last 10 years [the period of former AFL-CIO President John Sweeney’s tenure] we have seen a decline in membership, a decline in density.”
Hoffa further explained his union’s decision to Fox News.
“In our view, we must have more union members in order to change the political climate that is undermining workers’ rights in this country. The AFL-CIO has chosen the opposite approach. We proposed that the AFL-CIO embark on a new course of action that would not only protect our existing Teamsters members and their families but lead to thousands of new working men and women to have the opportunity to organize into a strong union that would give them the chance to achieve the American dream to own their own home, send their kids to college and plan a strong retirement.
Hoffa, while pledging support of the AFL-CIO, said, “Today’s decision means that we have chosen a course of growth and strength for the American labor movement based on organizing new members. ... This is just the beginning of a new era for America’s workers.”
Hoffa is an advocate of fair trade policies and a wide-range of legislation. Hoffa has advocated recently for reforming the nation's health care system
and initiated a new website named Teamsters for Health Care Reform Now. He also composed a weblog essay on the Huffington Post attacking Whole Foods
for undermining efforts to win Congressional reform. Hoffa also spoke on the Thom Hartmann
radio program about the politics of health care reform.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and labor
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader and the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
. Hoffa was first elected during December 1998 and took office on March 19, 1999. He was subsequently re-elected in 2001, 2006 and 2011 to five-year terms.
Personal life
He is the only son of Jimmy HoffaJimmy Hoffa
James Riddle "Jimmy" Hoffa was an American labor union leader....
, who was also a president of the Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
, and his wife Josephine (née Poszywak). He is the brother of Judge Barbara Ann Crancer
Barbara Ann Crancer
Barbara Ann Crancer , is a former St. Louis County Associate Circuit Court Judge and is the daughter of former Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa....
. Hoffa has a wife, Virginia, and two sons, David and Geoffrey.
Born in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
on May 19, 1941, Hoffa attended Cooley High School
Cooley High School
Thomas M. Cooley High School is located at the intersection of Hubbell Avenue and Chalfonte Street, on the northwest side of Detroit, Michigan. The three-story, Mediterranean Revival-style facility opened its doors on September 4, 1928....
. There, he became a member of the National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, and an all-city and all-state football player. During the summer months, the Hoffa family visited their cottage in rural Lake Orion outside Detroit.
Hoffa often accompanied his father to Teamster meetings and events, and became a Teamster in 1959 on his 18th birthday. Hoffa holds a degree in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
(1963) and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
(1966). Hoffa was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship to work in the Michigan State Senate as an aide to senate and house members doing constituent relations and research. Hoffa is a member of Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega
Alpha Tau Omega is a secret American leadership and social fraternity.The Fraternity has more than 250 active and inactive chapters, more than 200,000 initiates, and over 7,000 active undergraduate members. The 200,000th member was initiated in early 2009...
. He was an attorney for the Teamsters from 1968 to 1993.
1996 campaign
Hoffa campaigned against the Teamsters incumbent president, Ron CareyRon Carey (labor leader)
Ronald Robert Carey was an American labor leader who served as president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1991 to 1997. He was the first Teamster General President elected by a direct vote of the membership...
, at the Teamsters international convention of June 1996 in Philadelphia. After nearly 500,000 votes were cast in early November, 1996, Ron Carey had won the election by a 52 percent margin. At the time Carey characterized the victory as one for “reformers in the American labor movement.”
Five months later, in April 1997, news broke that a federal grand jury was investigating allegations that Ron Carey had received illegal campaign kickbacks and employer contributions during the Teamsters election the previous year. The union has been supervised by a court-appointed administrator ever since a consent decree with the Justice Department in 1989.
A new election for Teamsters president was ordered by the federal government in August 1997, after federal official Barbara Zack Quindel’s investigation uncovered a ‘complex network of schemes’ that involved the improper use of Teamster assets.
Quindel found that the Carey campaign had received more than $220,000 in illegal contributions. Ultimately, the Independent Review Board found that more than $750,000 in union assets had been used in Carey’s 1996 reelection campaign.
During the 1998 election Tom Leedham, then-director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division, campaigned against James P. Hoffa. Campaigning to unite the union, Hoffa won the election. After having lost narrowly in 1996 to Ron Carey, Hoffa’s new role as president was considered by Teamster members as a chance to rebuild the union.
Hoffa was re-elected in 2001 and 2006 to five-year terms.
1999
“The first big test of the Hoffa administration” was the ratification in June 1999, of a four-year contract covering 13,000 carhaul members after an unprecedented amount of communication in the form of rallies, newsletters and a telephone hotline that was called more than 20,000 times over the course of the contract campaign. Solidarity rallies in Detroit, Los Angeles and Nashville attracted more than 6,000 carhaulers, family members and friends. The new contract averted a national strike and included pension gains, job security language and significant wage increases.“The new union leader is being closely watched in part because he has pledged to restore unity in Teamsters’ ranks in the wake of a divisive campaign finance scandal.”
Two-thousand full-time jobs were created after Teamster pressure on United Parcel Service (UPS) as part of the commitment made by the 1997 contract. “My administration sent UPS management a very clear message. We expect UPS to meet their obligations under the 1997 agreement, and we will not tolerate company delays or numbers manipulation.”
2000
More than 8,000 flight attendants at Northwest AirlinesNorthwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines, Inc. was a major United States airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines by a merger approved on October 29, 2008, making Delta the largest airline in the world...
voted to ratify a new contract with improvements in compensation and retirement packages and ending a 3½ year labor dispute. “This contract provides tremendous wage gains, industry-leading pension rates and the best scope of protections in the industry.”
2001
Casino workers in Detroit saw an end to biased wages and a disregard for seniority with their new collective bargaining agreement ratified in 2001. The new agreement initiated immediate wage parity between casinos in addition to wage increases in each year of the three-year contract.Demonstrating increased strength and confidence in Teamster representation Champion Air
Champion Air
Champion Air was an airline based in Bloomington, Minnesota, USA. It operated general charter services to sports teams, vacation wholesalers and government agencies. It also offered limited scheduled service...
flight attendants voted for their first Teamster contract in March, 2001. The contract resulted in improved pay rates, hours of service, working conditions and benefits.
2002
After a month-long strike, bus drivers at LaidlawLaidlaw
Laidlaw, organized as Laidlaw International, Inc. , was a predecessor corporation of First Student , a US subsidiary of the Scottish transport firm FirstGroup plc...
Education Services in Los Angeles ratified a new contract in April 2002. The strike occurred due to the disparity between the wages and benefits of drivers who are direct employees of the Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District
Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California. It is the 2nd largest public school district in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population...
and those paid by Laidlaw.
A landmark agreement with United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
(UPS) was reached in July 2002 for the 210,000 Teamsters employed there. Hoping to avoid a damaging strike similar to the one in 1997, negotiators at UPS acquiesced to Teamster demands, producing a contract with a 25 percent increase in wages and benefits. “These negotiations have taken place in an economic climate in which millions of American workers are seeing their health benefits cut and their retirement savings wiped out. We have shown the nation that job and benefit cuts are not inevitable,” said James Hoffa, Teamsters President.
Mechanics at Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines
Continental Airlines was a major American airline now merged with United Airlines. On May 3, 2010, Continental Airlines, Inc. and UAL, Inc. announced a merger via a stock swap, and on October 1, 2010, the merger closed and UAL changed its name to United Continental Holdings, Inc...
ratified a four-year contract resulting in wage and benefit increases in December 2002. This was the second Teamster contract for the 3,300 mechanics and one that made subcontracting nearly impossible due to its defining all maintenance work as being within the jurisdiction of the Teamsters.
2003
A new contract for 65,000 drivers working under the Teamsters National Master Freight Agreement was reached in February 2003. The contract restored the union’s right to strike when there was a deadlock over grievances, a right given up under a previous contract of 1994. “The nation is in the depths of recession and on the brink of war, and we maintained our strong health care benefits, protected our pensions and won the highest wage increases in more than a decade,” said Teamsters president James Hoffa.Carhaulers ratified a new, five-year contract that protected health benefits and pensions and provided job security for the more than 6,500 members nationwide. The contract included increases of wages and benefits by 13.4 percent over the term of the agreement.
Chicago area trash haulers represented by the Teamsters reached an agreement in October, 2003, ending a nine-day garbage strike that left local officials begging for the garbage trucks. The new contract included higher wages and improvements to health benefits and pensions and covered 3,300 solid waste hauling workers.
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. , is an American brewing company. The company operates 12 breweries in the United States and 18 in other countries. It was, until December 2009, also one of America's largest theme park operators; operating ten theme parks across the United States through the...
Teamsters ratified a new, five-year agreement in December 2003. The Teamsters Union won a guarantee from the company that prohibits closing of any of its 12 breweries in the United States. Wage increases, free health care and increased pension benefits were all included in the contract covering 7,500 Teamster members nationwide.
- President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appoints Teamsters President James P. Hoffa to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations (ACTPN). “U.S. trade policy has not focused on the economic impact of unfair trade deals on working families. We must shape a trade policy that meets the needs of working families and ends the economic race to the bottom.”
- Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive EngineersBrotherhood of Locomotive EngineersThe Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen is a labor union founded in Marshall, Michigan, on May 8, 1863, as the Brotherhood of the Footboard. A year later, its name was changed to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, sometimes referred to as the Brotherhood of Engineers...
(BLE) vote to merge with the Teamsters Union by an 80 percent majority. With 32,000 active members, the BLE was one of the oldest labor organizations in the country. The BLE became the first members of the newly-created Teamsters Rail Conference. Soon after merging with the Teamsters, the BLE changed its name to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) in recognition of the trainmen of the union.
2004
- In October, 2004, members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE) voted to become Teamsters. More than 75 percent of the BMWE’s members voted to merge with the Teamsters Union and become part of the growing Teamsters Rail Conference. “As did my father, I have envisioned one union representing all transportation workers – roads to rails, ports to planes –that would provide workers with real power on the job and the political arena.”
- A majority of the members of the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU) vote to merge with the Teamsters Union effective January, 2005, making it the third independent union to merge with the Teamsters in the past 18 months. The union becomes an “autonomous conference” of the Teamsters.
2005
Employees of Allied Waste/BFIBrowning-Ferris Industries
Browning-Ferris Industries was a North American waste management company that was disbanded in 1999. Its name is a licensed trademark of Allied Waste Industries. Its headquarters were located in the Eldridge Place 1 and 2 complex in the Energy Corridor area of Houston, Texas.BFI was founded in...
in the Atlanta area ratify their first Teamster contract in December, 2005. The second-largest U.S. trash hauler, Allied Waste agreed to labor contracts that cover more than 450 workers. The Teamsters secured agreements after a year and half of bargaining during which the company tried to demoralize the workers and their union by granting raises to workers in non-union location shops and intimidating union supporters. “These contracts are a testament to the workers courage and determination, and a major step forward in our battle to raise living standards for waste workers across the South,” said Teamsters President Jim Hoffa at the time of the victory.
2006
The Teamsters started contract negotiations in September, 2006 with UPS over its package workers’ contract and initial bargaining at a UPS Freight terminal in Indianapolis, IN. Ken Hall, Director of the Teamsters Parcel and Small Package Division said that the initial contract at the UPS Freight terminal in Indianapolis would serve ‘as a template or a model for other locations.”2007
A new, five-year contract was ratified by NetJetsNetJets
NetJets, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, offers fractional ownership and rental of private business jets.-History:NetJets Inc., formerly Executive Jet Aviation, was founded in 1964 as one of the first private business jet charter and aircraft management companies...
mechanics, aircraft fuelers, cleaners and stock clerks in January, 2007.
“At NetJets, Teamsters are making real gains despite negative trends elsewhere,” said Allen Price, Teamsters Local 284 President. The contract covers 143 workers.
A tentative agreement was reached for Teamster members working at Costco
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
in California in January 2007. More than 13,000 workers at 40 locations in the state are covered under the agreement.
Members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED) and Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) ratified a new contract for those working on the nation’s freight rail lines. The agreement includes general wage increases totaling 17 percent (18.2 percent compounded over the life of the agreement), which will remain effective until December 31, 2009. Both the BMWED and BLET are members of the Teamsters Rail Conference.
Indianapolis Teamsters working at UPS Freight voted to ratify their first contract in October, 2007. The agreement will improve wages, benefits and working conditions. “For more than 50 years, workers at UPS Freight’s predecessor, Overnite, fought to win a Teamster contract. Today the union fulfilled its promise that we would not quit until workers achieved economic justice.
UPS Teamsters approved a new contract in November, 2007 with a five-year term covering 240,000 workers. The contract will increase wages annually and increase funds that provide pension, health and welfare benefits. “We…have negotiated an agreement that will greatly benefit our members at U.P.S. as well as Teamster members in other industries covered by pension and health and welfare funds.”
2008
Teamster freight members ratified a new, National Master Freight Agreement (NMFA) in February, 2008. Covering 60,000 workers at YRC WorldwideYRC Worldwide
YRC Worldwide Inc. is the holding company for a portfolio of brands including YRC, YRC Reimer, New Penn, USF Holland and USF Reddaway. YRC Worldwide has a comprehensive network in North America with local, regional, national and international capabilities...
, Yellow Transportation, Roadway and regional units at USF Holland and New Penn Motor Express.
On February 20, 2008, Hoffa became the first major union leader to endorse Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(D-IL) in his bid for President of the United States. Hoffa campaigned in major states for Obama throughout the primary and general election. He served as a superdelegate
Superdelegate
"Superdelegate" is an informal term commonly used for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party....
to the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
in Denver and a member of the Michigan Electoral College.
On March 11, 2008 members of the Brotherhood of Maintenance Way Employes (BMWED), part of the Teamsters Rail Conference, approved a new contract with Amtrak after eight years of negotiations. Workers, who have been working for sub-par rates for the past several years will receive increases of wages and benefits.
Workers at DHL Express
DHL Express
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
ratified a new national agreement in early May 2008. These were the first national agreements negotiated by the Teamsters Union in more than 30 years. “The vote from DHL Express members is a strong signal of support. We were determined to obtain the best contract that we could for members, and I believe we achieved that,” said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa.
Teamster carhaulers ratified a new three-year national agreement on October 24, 2008. A record level of employer contributions towards health, welfare and pension benefits were won by the union by the agreement covering approximately 8,100 workers.
Gaining a 15 percent wage increase over five years, Teamsters working at Anheuser-Busch facilities in the U.S. voted in a new agreement on November 7, 2008. The contract included the promise that Anheuser-Busch, recently acquired by InBev
InBev
InBev is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The company existed independently for several years - since the merger between Interbrew and AmBev and until the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch. InBev has operations in over 30 countries and sales in over 130 countries...
, would keep all 12 U.S. Breweries open for the life of the contract.
For the first time in nearly 40 years, pressmen at the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
voted in a Teamster contract in December, 2008. The 250 men and women working in the press operations section of the Los Angeles Times voted in their first collective bargaining agreement with the Graphic Communications Conference of the Teamsters.
2009
On September 14, pilots with Amerijet Cargo approved their first contract after five years of negotiations. Workers at Amerijet, an air freight carrier, had been on strike since August 27 partly due to the unsanitary conditions on the aircraft. The company will reinstall bathrooms on the aircraft as part of the contract agreement.For the last 14 months, Hoffa managed the Teamsters’ effort as the union worked with YRC Worldwide (YRCW) as the country’s largest less-than-truckload company struggled during the recession. The Teamsters and YRCW reached a labor cost savings agreement in August, and YRCW reached new bank terms with its lenders at the end of October.
But in December, Hoffa sent letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission, state Attorneys General
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
, state insurance officials
Insurance commissioner
Insurance commissioner is an executive office in many U.S. states, some in the state cabinet. The office differs state by state:...
and Congressional
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
leaders on financial industry oversight calling on regulators to review the questionable promotion of credit default swap
Credit default swap
A credit default swap is similar to a traditional insurance policy, in as much as it obliges the seller of the CDS to compensate the buyer in the event of loan default...
s for bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
of YRCW. Hoffa urged the oversight bodies to investigate financial firms that were underwriting and/or marketing basis packages that consist of YRC bonds and credit default swaps.
Two days after the letters were sent, YRC announced it had obtained the necessary thresholds on its bond holder debt-to-equity exchange offer, which was the final part of a comprehensive restructuring plan that required all major stakeholders—its workers, pension funds, secured lenders and bond holders—to contribute toward helping the company survive the worst freight recession in generations.
Hoffa and the Teamsters were credited in several news reports for helping YRC avert bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
. Bloomberg
Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
said Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
helped YRCW complete the debt swap after the ‘Teamsters Union said the bank was trying to profit from a failure of the largest U.S. trucker by sales.”
2011 campaign
Hoffa was re-elected to a fourth term heading the Teamsters Union in November 2011. He won nearly 59 percent the vote for another five-year term.The three-way race was between Hoffa, Fred Gegare and Sandy Pope. Gegare is a Wisconsin Teamster, trustee on a pension fund and a Teamsters International Vice President. Pope is president of Teamsters Local 805 in New York City.
Legislative activities during tenure
Hoffa earned a reputation as an advocate for fair tradeFair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
and worker safety. He transformed the Teamsters into a premier political force by changing alliances
and rhetoric unpredictably.
Under his leadership, the Teamsters ended a federal program that allowed Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
truckers to haul goods beyond the border zone in the United States. The Teamsters strongly opposed a trade deal with Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
through lobbying and street protests, and were credited with helping to prevent a similar trade deal with Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
The Teamsters successfully encouraged Congress to pass legislation increasing rail security in 2007.
The Teamsters sued the Bush administration in 2005 to overturn regulations that extended the number of hours a driver could spend behind the wheel of a truck. The Teamsters argued the rule would contribute to driver fatigue. The Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
for the District of Columbia sided with the Teamsters, but it was the Obama administration that finally agreed to change the rule.
Under his leadership, the Teamsters ended a federal program in 2009 that allowed Mexican truckers to haul goods beyond the border zone in the United States. Hoffa predicted the failure of a second version of the program in October 2011, and challenged it in federal court.
In September 2010, President Obama appointed Hoffa to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations.
Labor Day speech controversy
On September 5, 2011, he caused some controversy when introducing President Obama at a Labor DayLabor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
rally in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. In his remarks, an animated Hoffa stated "We have to keep an eye on the battle we face—a war on workers. And you see it everywhere there is the Tea Party. And you know there is only one way to beat and win that war. The one thing about working people is we like a good fight. And you know what, they’ve got a war, they’ve got a war with us and there is only going to be one winner. It is going to be the workers of Michigan and America – we are going to win that war. All the way." He then urged the audience to vote in the coming election and in reference to the Tea Party
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
, stated, "Everybody here's got to vote," Hoffa said. "If we go back and we keep the eye on the prize, let's take these sons-of-a-bitches out and give America back to America where we belong!"
Following the fiery remarks, some conservative media outlets chastised the Democrats and President Obama for not condemning Hoffa for using violent rhetoric of the kind they had cited as leading to the 2011 Tucson Shooting
2011 Tucson shooting
On January 8, 2011, a mass shooting occurred near Tucson, Arizona. Nineteen people were shot, six of them fatally, with one other person injured at the scene during an open meeting that U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding with members of her constituency in a Casas Adobes Safeway...
, while the White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Jay Carney
Jay Carney
James "Jay" Carney is an American journalist and President Barack Obama's second White House Press Secretary. Prior to his appointment as Press Secretary, replacing Robert Gibbs, he was director of communications to Vice President Joe Biden...
said, “Mr. Hoffa speaks for himself, he speaks for the labor movement...The president speaks for himself." However, Hoffa responded to the controversy by stating, “We didn’t start this war—the right wing did. My comments on Labor Day in Detroit echo the anger and frustration of American workers who are under attack by corporate-funded politicians who want to destroy the middle class. We’re tired of seeing good-paying jobs shipped overseas. This fight is about the economy, it’s about jobs and it’s about rebuilding America. As I said yesterday in Detroit, we all have to vote in order to take these anti-worker politicians out of office. We’re fighting back. That’s what Teamsters do—we stand up for what is right,” Hoffa said. “I will never apologize for standing up for my fellow Teamsters and all American workers.” The National Review
National Review
National Review is a biweekly magazine founded by the late author William F. Buckley, Jr., in 1955 and based in New York City. It describes itself as "America's most widely read and influential magazine and web site for conservative news, commentary, and opinion."Although the print version of the...
's Jonah Goldberg
Jonah Goldberg
Jonah Jacob Goldberg is an American conservative syndicated columnist and author. Goldberg is known for his contributions on politics and culture to , of which he is editor-at-large...
supported Hoffa's language, if not the content, saying "We are in a really weird place where the head of the Teamsters can't talk tough. I mean, I guess ex-cons are the only ones left who can still talk like men every now and then." Goldberg went on to state that the issue was not the language, but the "absolutely bizarre standard" for language established after Tucson.
Some commentators and journalists have charged that the context of the quote was changed by editing out the "Everybody here's got to vote" passage by Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
and other media outlets, thus fueling the controversy by making the speech sound like a call for violence instead of a call to vote.
Organizing successes
In recent years, Hoffa has led a resurgence of the Teamsters resulting in a net increase of members in 2007, the first year of net growth in the union in nearly three decades.Recent significant organizing victories include more than 12,600 workers at UPS Freight, 9,000 mechanics at United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, 22,000 school bus drivers at First Student/FirstGroup since 2006 under the union’s Drive Up Standards campaign, 3,200 customer service representatives at America West Airlines
America West Airlines
America West Airlines corporate offices were in Tempe, Arizona and the main hub was at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The airline became part of the US Airways Group after a merger in 2005....
, and nearly 900 crewmembers of Atlas Air, Inc. and Polar Air Cargo Worldwide. More recently, on November 20, 2009, more than 1,700 school bus workers employed at the Baumann transportation companies on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
joined the union.
The organizing victory at UPS Freight was particularly noteworthy, because it is the former Overnite Transportation, which the union struggled to organize for many years. The campaign got a major boost when UPS purchased Overnite, and it became UPS Freight.
“This [UPS Freight] is the largest organizing victory in the freight industry in 25 years. We were amazed that at the 90-day mark of our national campaign, 9,900 workers had signed cards. This shows the workers' commitment in joining a union that will give them a strong voice in the workplace.”
“We announced two goals for the Teamsters in 2008: To organize 40,000 workers and to elect Barack Obama President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. I am proud to say that thanks to the hard work by so many in our union, the Teamsters delivered on both promises.”
The union’s successful organizing plan has emphasized the Teamster core industries—particularly those in the global supply chain—and the management of Hoffa and the Teamsters Organizing Department involved the entire union. The bulk of the organizing resulted from coordinated, disciplined campaigns in which numerous Teamster local unions and Joint Councils participated.
Organizing has been a main theme of Hoffa’s administration, culminating in 2005, when the Teamsters Union left the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
to found the new Change to Win Federation
Change to Win Federation
The Change to Win Federation is a coalition of American labor unions originally formed in 2005 as an alternative to the AFL-CIO. The coalition is associated with strong advocacy of the organizing model...
with emphasis on organizing and growth. The union has achieved an annual increase in organizing gains every year since, with 2008 marking a record-breaking year. Hundreds of volunteer member organizers have arranged worker-to-worker contacts between Teamsters and unorganized workers in the same craft.
In September 2009, the Teamsters began a project to recruit and train 1,000 member organizers before the end of 2009 to be ready when the Employee Free Choice Act
Employee Free Choice Act
The Employee Free Choice Act was a legislative bill that was introduced into both chambers of the U.S. Congress on March 10, 2009. The bill's purpose was to,...
is passed.
“There is no better spokesperson for the Teamsters than a Teamster like you,” Hoffa said. “… We are engaged in national campaigns that will test the resources of the union. Without a mighty army of Teamster member organizers, we’re not going to get it done.”
“We formed our union with the Teamsters so we could have an opportunity to negotiate for fair pay, benefits and equal treatment,” said Nicole Miles, a monitor at First Student in Parkville, Missouri and Local 838 member. “Coming from a Teamster family, I supported the Teamsters because I wanted to be part of a union that will support me. I’m proud of our vote to join the Teamsters.”
Split from the AFL-CIO
Service Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union is a labor union representing about 1.8 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States , and Canada...
(SEIU) split from the AFL-CIO on July 25, 2005. The group of breakaway unions, which later included the Laborer’s
Laborers' International Union of North America
The Laborers' International Union of North America is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of March 31, 2010, they have about 632,000 members, members, about 80,000 of which are in Canada.The current general president is Terence M...
, United Farm Workers
United Farm Workers
The United Farm Workers of America is a labor union created from the merging of two groups, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee led by Filipino organizer Larry Itliong, and the National Farm Workers Association led by César Chávez...
and United Food and Commercial Workers Union, formed their own group called the Change to Win Federation.
“We have been disappointed that over the last 10 years [the period of former AFL-CIO President John Sweeney’s tenure] we have seen a decline in membership, a decline in density.”
Hoffa further explained his union’s decision to Fox News.
“In our view, we must have more union members in order to change the political climate that is undermining workers’ rights in this country. The AFL-CIO has chosen the opposite approach. We proposed that the AFL-CIO embark on a new course of action that would not only protect our existing Teamsters members and their families but lead to thousands of new working men and women to have the opportunity to organize into a strong union that would give them the chance to achieve the American dream to own their own home, send their kids to college and plan a strong retirement.
Hoffa, while pledging support of the AFL-CIO, said, “Today’s decision means that we have chosen a course of growth and strength for the American labor movement based on organizing new members. ... This is just the beginning of a new era for America’s workers.”
Hoffa is an advocate of fair trade policies and a wide-range of legislation. Hoffa has advocated recently for reforming the nation's health care system
Health care reform in the United States
Health care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
and initiated a new website named Teamsters for Health Care Reform Now. He also composed a weblog essay on the Huffington Post attacking Whole Foods
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
for undermining efforts to win Congressional reform. Hoffa also spoke on the Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann
Thom Hartmann is an American radio host, author, former psychotherapist and entrepreneur, and progressive political commentator. His nationally-syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, airs in the United States and has 2.75 million listeners a week...
radio program about the politics of health care reform.